Page 70 of Imperfectly Perfect

“I promise,” Fallon coughed out. “I promise.”

“Thank you.” Savannah walked away, disappearing into Brinley’s bedroom.

Fallon remained where she was for far too long before she finally forced her legs to move. She shuddered, the memories flooding through her in an instant. She just needed a minute. Or an hour. Something that would stop the memories from taking over.

Something that would pull her out of this.

Brinley raced out of the bedroom, wrapping her arms around Fallon’s waist and holding onto her tightly. Fallon lifted her arms in surprise, and then stared down at the top of Brinley’s blonde head. Savannah stood in the hallway, awkwardly looking at them.

Fallon closed her arms around Brinley’s shoulders, tugging her in close and hugging her.

“It’s over for now.” But who was she saying that to?

Brinley?

Or Savannah?

Or herself?

twenty-four

Brinley was finally asleep, snoozing loudly on her bed which Savannah had yet to extricate herself from. She wasn’t sure she could go out there and face the music. Fallon had witnessed one of the most embarrassing parts of Savannah’s life. She hated that Forrest talked to her like that, that he felt he could control her like that.

So she stayed in the bed, feet up on the mattress, listening to her daughter’s deep breaths in and out.

But she knew she had to leave.

Fallon had promised to stay until she got back out there so they could talk, but that couldn’t be in the morning, as much as she might prefer it. Savannah wiped the silent tears from her cheeks and slowed her breathing. She had to prepare herself for what she knew was going to come. Whatever it was would be emotional and heavy. There’d be no escaping it. And this time it couldn’t wait, not like it had before.

That much was clear.

Forcing herself off the bed, Savannah tiptoed out of the room and shut the door behind her so that Brinley could sleep. She’d wake up in the morning cranky and exhausted, but they’d both be in the same boat. Running her fingers through her hair,Savannah made it to the living room to find Fallon sitting on the couch with her phone in her hand and a steaming mug of something on the table.

Savannah couldn’t even bring herself to speak as she plopped onto the soft cushion next to Fallon and kept a significant amount of space between them. What was she supposed to say? What was she supposed to do?

“I wouldn’t blame you for leaving,” Savannah finally mumbled, her voice hoarse from the overwhelming emotions and the tears she’d shed earlier. “I get how sensitive this must be for you.”

Fallon sighed and set her phone onto the table next to the mug. She handed the mug to Savannah and forced her to take it. “It’s a hot toddy.”

“Oh.” Savannah blinked at the liquid, surprised. She never would have thought of something like that, but it would be perfect for a night like this. “Thank you.”

The first sip was utterly amazing. Her throat stung as the liquid moved down it, but the warmth that filled her belly and her chest was exactly what she needed.

“I’m so sorry,” Savannah finally murmured. “I’m so embarrassed.”

“Because your ex can’t control himself?”

Savannah nodded slowly, taking another sip of the amazing drink. “Yes. And because I can’t seem to put my foot down with him no matter how hard I try.”

The doubt on Fallon’s face was loud and clear. She didn’t believe Savannah had even tried to stop it. Perhaps she hadn’t for a really long time, and now she was reaping the consequences of not setting boundaries in the first place.

“He wasn’t this bad when we met,” Savannah argued, even though the passion wasn’t there. She was tired of defendingForrest, of letting him weasel his way into her life even more when she just wanted him out.

“One thing I need you to understand is that I come from a home like this.” Fallon ran her palms over her thighs, and she refused to look Savannah in the eyes. “My house growing up was very… chaotic on a good day. Dark, muddy, scary, untenable on a bad day. Deathly even.”

“Fallon—”

Fallon shook her head, and Savannah shut her mouth. If Fallon wanted to talk about this, then Savannah needed to let her. Perhaps it would give them both more insight into each other.

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